AI influencers
GlobalData has identified ten of the biggest influencers in AI on Twitter during Q3 2019, using its Influencer Platform.

GlobalData research has found the top AI influencers based on their performance and engagement online.

Using research from GlobalData’s Influencer platform, Verdict has named ten of the most influential people in AI on Twitter during Q3 2019.

Biggest influencers in AI: The top ten

1. Ronald van Loon (@Ronald_vanLoon)

Ronald van Loon is a Big Data expert and Director at Advertisement, a data and analytics consultancy firm. He helps data-driven companies in executing data and analytics strategies to become more successful.
Recognised as a thought leader across domains, Ronald is a top influencer in areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, business analytics, digital transformation, and predictive analytics.
Ronald contributes to leading big data websites such as Datafloq and Data Science Central. He also regularly delivers speeches and talks at various events and conferences.

Twitter followers: 201,510

GlobalData influencer score: 100

2. Ganapathi Pulipaka (@gp_pulipaka)

Doctor Ganapathi Pulipaka is a chief data scientist at Accenture. He has worked in the SAP and artificial intelligence domain for more than 20 years. He offers solutions in areas such as SAP systems, data science, application development, machine learning, deep learning, design engineering, IoT, consulting delivery services, and natural language processing. He started his career as a SAP ABAP Programmer and has implemented 29 SAP projects for clients including Fortune 100 companies. He is also the author of two books ‘Big Data Appliances for In-Memory Computing’ and ‘The Future of Data Science and Parallel Computing’.

Twitter followers: 70,053

GlobalData influencer score: 83

3. Kirk Borne (@KirkDBorne)

Dr Kirk Borne is a data scientist, astrophysicist, and a space scientist. He has worked as the Principal Data Scientist and Executive Advisor at Booz Allen-Hamilton since 2015. Kirk has been associated with various NASA projects including the Hubble Space Telescope, Astronomy Data Center, and Space Science Data Operations Office. He has hands-on experience in dealing with large scientific databases and information systems, and is an expert in scientific data mining.
Kirk was recognised as the number one global digital influencer in 2018-2019 and the top Big Data influencer. He has also contributed to various publications including ‘The Field Guide to Data Science’ and authored research publication such as ‘The Interaction-Activity Connection’ and ‘Automated Wildfire Detection through Artificial Neural Networks’.

Twitter followers: 246,185

GlobalData influencer score: 80

4. Spiros Margaris (@SpirosMargaris)

Spiros Margaris is a venture capitalist and founder of Margaris Ventures. He also serves on the Advisory Board of wefox Group, a Europe-based insurtech start-up, and venture partner with SparkLabs Group, a seed-stage investment firm. He has been named a top influencer for the domains of FinTech, AI, and blockchain. He was also ranked the second biggest insurtech influencer in 2018.
Spiros is a speaker at fintech and insurtech conferences and has contributed towards an AI white paper titled, ‘Machine learning in financial services: Changing the rules of the game’.

Twitter followers: 86,846

GlobalData influencer score: 78

5. Evan Kirstel (@evankirstel)

Evan Kirstel is a B2B thought leader and a technology influencer. He helps clients such as Samsung, AT&T, and Intel achieve visibility across the social media landscape. Evan is very prominent in the areas of IoT, AI, big data, analytics, 5G, mobile, cloud, and blockchain. He is also actively involved in the building of EvIRA, a B2B network of thought leaders and digital social practitioners.
Evan has experience working across the information technology and telecom domains. He also has deep knowledge in mobile technology, cloud, and market convergence dynamics. He is an advisor to start-ups and markets disruptive technologies to businesses and service providers.

Twitter followers: 265,954

GlobalData influencer score: 75

6. Tamara McCleary (@TamaraMcCleary)

Tamara McCleary serves as the CEO of Thulium, a social media analytics and consulting firm. She is a technology futurist who specialises in social influence, marketing, and technology. B2B Marketing named her the most influential woman in MarTech, while she has earned the spot of the Top Digital Marketer title from the software company Brand 24 in 2019.
Tamara developed the patented RelationShift® method, which is a virtual tool that allows co-workers to collaborate with each other and improve efficiencies at work. She was featured in Forbes for her ground-breaking influencer marketing strategies on social media.

Twitter followers: 306,368

GlobalData influencer score: 56

7. Mike Quindazzi (@MikeQuindazzi)

Mike Quindazzi is a business development leader and management consultant at PwC. He has approximately 30 years of experience in business development and management consulting.
Mike has led global teams across a range of clients, start-ups, and tech alliances, on various transformative initiatives. He is also a notable speaker of global megatrends that are responsible for shaping businesses and society.

Twitter followers: 138,194

GlobalData influencer score: 53

8. Nigel Willson (@nigewillson)

Nigel Willson has been associated with Microsoft for approximately 20 years. As chief technology officer at the company, Nigel has brought innovative solutions for clients in the professional services sector.
Nigel is a regular contributor of AI on social media and is regarded as a top influencer on AI, future technology, and digital transformation. He has published several articles including ‘Why Now Is The Time Of Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Why you need to understand Data Science’, and ‘The Year Of Cognitive Computing’.

Twitter followers: 55,529

GlobalData influencer score: 51

9. Sandy Carter (@sandy_carter)

Sandy Carter is a speaker, author, and industry expert in the domains of AI and IoT. She currently serves as the Vice President at Amazon Web Services and has been recognised as one of the most influential women in technology for her contributions.
Sandy was named as one of Forbes 2016 Digital Influencers and also appeared among the top influencers lists of various companies. She is an international speaker and has authored three books, including ‘The New Language of Business’, ‘The New Language of Marketing’ and ‘Get Bold’.

Twitter followers: 81,155

GlobalData influencer score: 47

10. Thomas Power (@thomaspower)

Thomas Power has been a board member and director for six companies, including 9Spokes in New Zealand. He is also an expert in blockchain and joined the board of Blockchain Industry Compliance and Regulation (BICRA) in 2018.
Thomas is also an entrepreneur and advisor, who has worked with companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Accenture. He is also a writer and has authored eight books. He specialises in areas such as social media, technology, cloud, community building, and SaaS apps.

Twitter followers: 322,869

GlobalData influencer score: 46